KRISHNAGIRI DISTRICT HISTORICAL

RESEARCH CENTRE, HOSUR

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEROSTONES &
MEMORIAL STONES

CIRCULAR-I

Sirs,
Warm greetings,
We cordially invite you to the NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEROSTONES &
MEMORIAL STONES to be held on 21st & 22nd of June, 2014 at KAP kalyana
mandapam ,Hosur.
Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, the land of Herostones where multilingual people lived in great harmony [ viravu mozhi thagadur].Despite the Tamil,
Telugu and Kannada inscriptions, this land also marks a vast presence of
herostones. The practice of erecting herostones was in prevalence even during the
Sangam age. This was clearly known from one of the poems of Avvai on a herostone
for Adhiyaman. The 5th century CE-18th centuries CE inscribed herostones are also
found. These inscriptions discern information on the political, social and cultural
history of the Thagadur region. These stones are an undercurrent of appreciation for
their valour in a cattle raid ,retrieval of captured cattle, fighting and killing with wild
animals, death caused in a battle or a war, sati(immolating herself into the funeral
pyre of her dead husband),heroic death for a public cause, fertility stones and even
for rituals(navagandam, arigandam).
Herostones here, represent the rule of Baanar ,Piruthuvigangar,
Maavalivaanarayar, Arimirayar, Baarathaayar, Vinnavaraiyar chieftains and
Pallava, Ganga and Nolamba ,Imperial cholas Hoysala and the Vijayanagara kings .
It is noteworthy that the discovery of herostones in stages following the present
including the Sangam age.The first conference on herostones(1974) was prevoiusly
held at Chennai. Various Researches are being taken by scholars to unveil these
monuments.
In a view to honour, this conference is specially arranged by Krishnagiri
District Historical Research Centre, Hosur in association with Adiaman Centre for
Social and Historical Research (ACSHR),Dharmapuri , Pennar Archealogical Forum,
Kaveripattinam and the Facebook clan for Herostones.
The Registrations and the other particulars are informed via circular-II.
Papers on Herostones alone are invited for this multi-disciplinary conference. The
invited papers are intended to be in English or Tamil. The contributors are requested
to send their abstracts on or before May 28, 2014. The complete research paper
with photos, maps and diagrams must reach us before June 5.

The soft copy may be sent by email to

herostonestudies@gmail.com. The surface mail (hard copy) may be sent to
Mr.Sugavana Murugan ,2/205 Anna Nagar,Kaveripattinam-635112, Krishnagiri
Dist.,Tamilnadu within the stipulated time for the publication convenience as they
are planned to be released on the event day.

For further clarifications,

Mr.P.Kumar,
Convener,
Herostone Conference.
kumarpbuddha@gmail.com,
Mr.Sugavana Murugan,
Joint Convener,

Herostone Conference.
Mob:90421 58667.

herostonestudies@gmail.com
We welcome Suggestions and Guidance.
Date:16-05-2014.
With Regards,
P.Kumar ,
Convener,
Herostone Conference
Krishnagiri District
Historical Research Centre,HOSUR